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Jackass: The Blog Post

30 April 2014

When the first Saturday in May rolls around and the attention of the horse world gets fixated on Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, I like to remind our Out of the Box readers that Virginia is full of horse history, too. Broadsides advertising horses for sale or available breeding seasons are a frequent find in local court records. A recent fun discovery was a broadside advertising the stud season of Don Alphonso, a “Thorough-Bred Jack-Ass.”

Don Alphonso was not a cross between a Thoroughbred and a jackass but rather a well-bred jackass, as the term “Thorough-Bred” is used here to denote purebred. Described by his owner, Richard Bland, as being of “high perfection” and possessed of “as much vigor as any Jack I ever faw [sic]; and that I believe him to be as fure [sic] a foal getter as any on the continent.” Don Alphonso stood for six dollars for the season lasting 10 March to 10 August 1802.

A stud book for Don Alphono’s 1802 season was included along with the broadside, but when opened it did not reveal Don’s breeding transactions for that season. Instead, listed inside were the “Amount of Articles purchased for D. S. McCormick’s Negroes.” The list was an account of items such as fabric, shoes, and clothing purchased for McCormick’s slaves for the years 1847-1849. Two female slaves were listed by name – Winney and Emma. There is no indication how D. S. McCormick came to possess Don Alphonso’s stud book, but it remains yet another interesting curiosity discovered in Virginia’s court records.

The broadside and stud book are part of the Lunenburg County (Va.) Clerks and Miscellaneous Records, 1802-1925, (Barcode 1046170) available for research at the Library of Virginia.